Literary Meanderings

{Blog Tour} THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF OKAY by Laura Steven + Giveaway

2019-06-09T00:30:00.000-05:00

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The Exact Opposite of Okay
by Laura Steven

Bitingly funny and shockingly relevant, The Exact Opposite of Okay is a bold, brave, and necessary read for fans of Louise O'Neill and Jennifer Mathieu.

Eighteen-year-old Izzy O’Neill knows exactly who she is—a loyal friend, an aspiring comedian, and a person who believes that milk shakes and Reese’s peanut butter cups are major food groups. But after she’s caught in a compromising position with the son of a politician, it seems like everyone around her is eager to give her a new label: slut.

Izzy is certain that the whole thing will blow over and she can get back to worrying about how she doesn’t reciprocate her best friend Danny’s feelings for her and wondering how she is ever going to find a way out of their small town. Only it doesn’t.

And while she’s used to laughing her way out of any situation, as she finds herself first the center of high school gossip and then in the middle of a national scandal, it's hard even for her to find humor in the situation.

Izzy may be determined not to let anyone else define who she is, but that proves easier said than done when it seems like everyone has something to say about her.

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• Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Feminism
• Publisher: HarperTeen
• Add the book on Goodreads!
• Purchase: Amazon / B&N / Kobo / TBD / IndieBound

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Laura Steven is an author, journalist and screenwriter from the northernmost town in England. The Exact Opposite of Okay, her YA debut, was published by Egmont in March 2018. The sequel, A Girl Called Shameless, will follow in 2019.

As well as mentoring aspiring authors through schemes like Pitch Wars, Laura works for Mslexia, a non-profit organisation supporting women writers. She graduated with Distinction from her MA in Creative Writing in 2017, and her TV pilot Clickbait – a mockumentary about journalists at a viral news agency – was a finalist in British Comedy's 2016 Sitcom Mission.

Laura is represented by Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary and Media Inc.

WEBSITE • GOODREADS • TWITTER • INSTAGRAM

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Continue on for the giveaway! ~

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{Blog Tour} TEETH IN THE MIST by Dawn Kurtagich + Giveaway

2019-06-04T00:30:00.000-05:00

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE TOUR SCHEDULE

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Teeth in the Mist
by Dawn Kurtagich

A genre-bending epic horror-fantasy, inspired by the legend of Faust, that spans generations as an ancient evil is uncovered--perfect for fans of Kendare Blake and Ransom Riggs.

Before the birth of time, a monk uncovers the Devil's Tongue and dares to speak it. The repercussions will be felt for generations...

Sixteen-year-old photography enthusiast Zoey has been fascinated by the haunted, burnt-out ruins of Medwyn Mill House for as long as she can remember--so she and her best friend, Poulton, run away from home to explore them. But are they really alone in the house? And who will know if something goes wrong?

In 1851, seventeen-year-old Roan arrives at the Mill House as a ward--one of three, all with something to hide from their new guardian. When Roan learns that she is connected to an ancient secret, she must escape the house before she is trapped forever.

1583. Hermione, a new young bride, accompanies her husband to the wilds of North Wales where he plans to build the largest water mill and mansion in the area. But rumors of unholy rituals lead to a tragic occurrence and she will need all her strength to defeat it.

Three women, centuries apart, drawn together by one Unholy Pact. A pact made by a man who, more than a thousand years later, may still be watching...

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• Genres: Young Adult, Retellings, Horror
• Add the book on Goodreads!
• Purchase: Amazon / B&N / Kobo / TBD / IndieBound

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Dawn Kurtagich is an award winning author of creepy, spooky, and psychologically sinister YA, where girls may descend into madness, boys may see monsters in men, and grown-ups may have something to hide. Her debut novel, THE DEAD HOUSE, was a YALSA Top 10 Pick, An Audie Award Nominee and an Earphone Award Winner. It has been optioned for TV by Lime Productions. She is also the author of THE CREEPER MAN / AND THE TREES CREPT IN, NAIDA and the forthcoming TEETH IN THE MIST, published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and Orion Children's Books. If you enjoy a creeping chill along your spine, mystery and little bit of terror, then you're in the right place!

By the time she was eighteen, she had been to fifteen schools across two continents. The daughter of a British globe-trotter and single mother, she grew up all over the place, but her formative years were spent in Africa—on a mission, in the bush, in the city and in the desert.

She has been lucky enough to see an elephant stampede at close range, a giraffe tongue at very close range, and she once witnessed the stealing of her (and her friends’) underwear by very large, angry baboons. (This will most definitely end up in a book . . . ) While she has quite a few tales to tell about the jumping African baboon spider, she tends to save these for Halloween!

When she was sixteen, she thought she'd be an astronomer and writer at the same time, and did a month-long internship at Cambridge's prestigious Cavendish Laboratories. Dawn vlogs on her youtube channel and can be found hanging around Twitter and Instagram.

WEBSITE • GOODREADS • TWITTER • FACEBOOK • INSTAGRAM • YOUTUBE

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Continue on for the giveaway! ~

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Book Blitz: BREAKOUT by A.M. Rose + Excerpt

2019-06-03T20:58:00.000-05:00

PRESENTED BY YA BOUND BOOK TOURS

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Breakout
by A.M. Rose

Six days.

That’s the amount of time until Lezah’s execution.

She’ll die never knowing what got her locked up in that godforsaken prison in the first place. Her only chance of survival is to escape. Except the monitoring bracelet that digs into her wrist, the roaming AI, and the implant in her neck make freedom close to impossible.

Her best chance is to team up with the four other inmates who are determined to break out, even if one of them is beyond gorgeous, annoying—oh, and in for murder. But he has a secret of his own. One that could break Lezah if she finds out, but could also set him free.

Figuring out how to work with him and the rest of this mismatched group of criminals is the only way Lezah will survive to see the outside world again.

But nothing in this prison is as it seems. And no one.

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• Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy
• Add the book on Goodreads!
• Purchase: Amazon / B&N / Kobo

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Heavy footsteps echo through the hall. From the corner of my eye, two AIRS appear, bigger than the humans they were built to resemble. Artificial Intelligent Roaming Security marching our way means only one thing. Someone’s time is up, and I just pray it isn’t mine. They’re all hard steel where a soft mesh “skin” should be, with inhuman faces that are cold and unforgiving. As if it couldn’t get any worse, these two are larger than any I’ve seen. Something about their mechanical forms appears more menacing than ever. AIRS are the only model of WALTER I’ve ever been afraid of. A drop of sweat slides down my temple, but I know better than to brush it away.
My chin trembles with the rumble in the floor from their heavy frames. They stop at my right, in front of Twelve and Thirty-three, the girls who share the room next to mine. Twelve’s knees shake so hard her bright red hair vibrates. A puddle forms around Thirty-three’s feet.
No one moves.
Or blinks.
Or breathes.
An eternity later, they grab Twelve and spin her around. With a loud crack, her cheek slams into cold concrete; red swells against her pale skin. Tears pour from her blue eyes and slide down her freckled cheeks. She looks as scared as I feel, but I have no right to. She’s the one with blood pooling at the corner of her mouth, with big, scary AIRS assaulting her.
“No!” someone down the line yells.
“Don’t. Stop. You’re hurting me,” Twelve begs, but the AIRS don’t respond. One digs their hand into her pocket and yanks out a fork.
Someone gasps and jerks back, then pays the price for it with an electrical shock from their metal wristband.

“That’s not mine. I swear. I didn’t take it.” Twelve’s voice cuts through me like broken glass. That’s basically what she is now. That’s what they’ll do to her—break her into a thousand shards. She’s already as good as dead. It doesn’t matter what number is on her bracelet, or however many days of her sentence she had left, her expiration date is now.

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A.M. Rose is the author of Road to Eugenica, and Breakout (formerly titled Not Innocent) is the writer of young adult novels, drinker of too much coffee (with way too much coconut creamer), and lover of all carbohydrates.

Currently, she lives in Houston, TX with her three boys (yes, her husband is in that count) and three cats. When she isn’t writing, she is an avid reader, critiquer, (is that even a word?) and trampoline enthusiast. She is a graduate from San Diego State University with a BA in Communication and a minor in underwater basket weaving. (Okay, maybe not the basket weaving part.)

WEBSITE • GOODREADS • TWITTER • FACEBOOK

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Thanks so much for stopping by! ♥ Happy Reading!

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{Blog Tour} ALL OUR BROKEN PIECES by L.D. Crichton—Author Interview + Giveaway

2019-05-29T12:38:00.000-05:00

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE TOUR SCHEDULE

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All Our Broken Pieces
by L.D. Crichton

"You can’t keep two people who are meant to be together apart for long..."

Lennon Davis doesn’t believe in much, but she does believe in the security of the number five. If she flicks the bedroom light switch five times, maybe her new L.A. school won’t suck. But that doesn’t feel right, so she flicks the switch again. And again. Ten more flicks of the switch and maybe her new step family will accept her. Twenty-five more flicks and maybe she won’t cause any more of her loved ones to die. Fifty times more and then she can finally go to sleep.

Kyler Benton witnesses this pattern of lights from the safety of his treehouse in the yard next door. It is only there, hidden from the unwanted stares of his peers, that Kyler can fill his notebooks with lyrics that reveal the true scars of the boy behind the oversized hoodies and caustic humor. But Kyler finds that descriptions of blonde hair, sad eyes, and tapping fingers are beginning to fill the pages of his notebooks. Lennon, the lonely girl next door his father has warned him about, infiltrates his mind. Even though he has enough to deal with without Lennon’s rumored tragic past in his life, Kyler can’t help but want to know the truth about his new muse.

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• Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance
• Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
• Add the book on Goodreads!
• Purchase: Amazon / B&N / Kobo / TBD / IndieBound

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with L.D. Crichton

LM: What inspired you to write All Our Broken Pieces?

L.D.: I do not have OCD and I’m not an expert but the reason I wanted to write the book to begin with—aside from the fact that it’s important to talk about mental health, was because of my own struggle with mental health. I thought it would a safe place for me to explore my own diagnosed anxieties which for a long time, was mostly me catastrophizing every possible thing. Then in my 20’s my mom passed away which took that overall sense of worry and morphed it into more off a morbid fixation on death, either mine or loved ones. I wrote from personal experience of being in the throes of panic chasing an illogical belief your brain is trying to tell you is true. Lennon and I have that in common so I gave her some of my thoughts.

However…

When I started writing, I felt that giving her OCD, something that was NOT my own experience, something I would have to research and look at from the perspective of someone trying to educate themselves with facts, would somehow remove me enough emotionally to write her story.

She ended up being a total inspiration to me despite the fact that we aren’t exactly the same.

LM: Which character from All Our Broken Pieces do you relate to the most and why?

L.D.: Gah! Immediately, it’s easy to assume Lennon after reading my answer above. And if I HAD to pick just one, it’s her because girl, I get it. I do.

But I can also relate to Kyler. I am an avid devourer of music. Any and all kinds of music. I know what it’s like to spill your heart onto paper, and constantly doubt yourself like he does.

I can relate to Claire and her loving mama vibes, or Josh and his sometimes abrasive protectiveness over his child. I understand Macy’s challenge of having an over-protective brother!

I guess the best way to put it is so many of my pieces are in All Our Broken Pieces.

LM: Give us a glimpse into your book—share one of your favorite quotes or scenes from the story!

L.D.: I love this question! Some backstory: Silas, Kyler’s band mate says, “She’s just a girl, bro” in reference to Lennon. Kyler repeats this in his narrative, when he is afraid he’s catching feelings. This scene is immediately after he shows Lennon his face, and she in turn reveals her OCD and what happened to her mother. I’ve always loved Kyler here.

SHE’S JUST A GIRL, BRO.

I came up here to do a school project, and now we’re in the midst of an emotional hurricane filled with all the issues Lennon from Maine with Serious Issues Who Sews has. The storm of feelings I’m immersed in is maximum-force, category-five brand of bullshit.

Bullshit because we’re sharing.

Not my strongest point.

I showed her my scars.

She showed me hers.

And now we’re connected on some weird level that part of me wanted to avoid while another part of me wanted so see bloom. She’s shaking in my arms like crazy, sobbing, falling apart at the seams, and I’m just trying to keep all the broken pieces of her together. She smells like rain. I love when it rains.

LM: In one sentence only, tell us why we should read All Our Broken Pieces.

L.D.: Self-acceptance, because are any of us every okay, really?

LM: Do you listen to music while you write? Any particular song/artist that inspired you while writing All Our Broken Pieces?

L.D.: YES! I listen to music ALL THE TIME. From the moment I wake until I sleep! I’m not sure you want me to answer this question because I have thousands of songs on playlists that rotate a lot based on my mood.

As a writer, in general, the band Marianas Trench never fails to inspire me. Canada’s greatest export—they are heavy features on every single playlist I have.

All Our Broken Pieces has a massive playlist of over 100 songs. Here’s a “few” LOL. If you’re not a music enthusiast, maybe keep scrolling. I’ll start with my beloved Marianas Trench and go from there.

- Ever After - Marianas Trench

- Masterpiece Theatre Pt 1 - Marianas Trench

- Toy Soldiers - Marianas Trench

- Porcelain - Marianas Trench

- Good To You - Marianas Trench

- All To Myself - Marianas Trench

- Cross My Heart - Marianas Trench

- Who Do You Love? - Marianas Trench

- Lullaby - Young Guns

- Last to Fall - Starset

- Follow You - Bring Me The Horizon

- Bleeding Out - Imagine Dragons

- Take My Pain Away - Anarbor

- Monster - Skillet

- Something More - Adelitas Way

- Pieces - RED

- Shadows - RED

- No One Looks As Good As You In That - Parabelle

- A Life Less Ordinary - Motion City Soundtrack

- Anywhere but Here - Mayday Parade

- Be My Escape - Relliant K

- Wait For You - Atreyu

- Far From Perfect - Rise Against (Ghost Note Symphonies) <— If I had to pick ONE song for Lennon and Kyler, this is it!

- And of course ANYTHING NIRVANA (Kyler!)

Phew. And that’s not even the whole thing. Shameless, passionate love for music!

LM: Which author(s) are you most inspired by?

L.D.:That’s hard. So many. I adore Colleen Hoover. I love that she’s so approachable. I was fortunate enough to meet her an at event and she’s a very funny lady. But there’s so many trailblazers I’m inspired by: Sarah Dessen, Becky Albertalli, Adam Silvera, Tamara Ireland Stone, Rainbow Rowell, Nicola Yoon, Jennifer Niven, Jenny Hahn, Angie Thomas, Stefanie Perkins, Jandy Nelson — there are so many!

LM: Tell us what you enjoy doing when you aren't writing!

L.D.: Curating ridiculous music playlists! :)

I love to travel! I just returned from two amazing weeks in Bali on my first ever solo trip! I also enjoy making graphics (for fun), reading, cuddling with my dog, and spending time with my mini-humans. I love to meditate and take a lot of time to do that— pretty simple.

LM: Thank you so much for answering my questions today! Is there anything you'd like to add; anything you'd like to say to your readers?

L.D.: Thank you for having me. I guess it would be this: From the bottom of my heart, thank you to anyone who has taken the time to step into Lennon and Kyler’s world. Your support means the world to me. Also: Stay Weird. ;)

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L.D. Crichton is the author of THE ENCHANTMENT OF EMMA FLETCHER, which received a starred review from School Library Journal. She’s a coffee devotee and lip gloss enthusiast whose infatuation with music is truly astonishing. If she’s not reading, writing, or checking her horoscope for signs from the Universe, you can find her by the water in search of mermaids because they're real. ALL OUR BROKEN PIECES is her first young adult novel. Represented by John Silbersack @ The Bent Agency. She is one of 6 hosts for a weekly Twitter chat about writing. Search the hashtag #Wattpad4 Monday nights at 8:00 PM EST on Twitter to join in!

TWITTER • GOODREADS • FACEBOOK • INSTAGRAM

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Huge thanks to L.D. Crichton for answering my questions so thoughtfully today! ♥

Readers, please continue on for giveaway details! ~

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Thanks so much for stopping by! ♥ Happy Reading!

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Book Blitz: A SHIFTING OF STARS by Kathy Kimbray—Excerpt + Giveaway

2019-05-27T17:50:00.000-05:00

PRESENTED BY YA BOUND BOOK TOURS

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A Shifting of Stars
by Kathy Kimbray

A squandering emperor. A handsome stranger. A reluctant heroine. And the ancient magic that will capsize a kingdom.

Seventeen-year-old Meadow Sircha watched her mother die from the wilting sickness. Tormented by the knowledge that the emperor failed to import the medicine that would have saved her, she speaks out at a gathering of villagers, inciting them to boycott his prized gladiator tournament.

But doing so comes at a steep cost.

Arrested as punishment for her impulsive tongue, Meadow finds herself caught up in the kind of danger she’s always tried to avoid. After a chance meeting with an enigmatic boy, she’s propelled on a perilous trek across the outer lands. But she soon unearths a staggering secret: one that will shift her world—and the kingdom—forever.

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• Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
• Add the book on Goodreads!
• Purchase: Amazon Kindle

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CHAPTER ONE
I should not be here. I’m foreign to this village of broken rooftops and dull stone walls. I brush my fingers over a pillar. Its coldness burns my skin, makes me pause.
Go home.
The words sing loud like a taunt as moonlight slithers across my shoulders. The parchment digs like thorns in my palm. I imagine its shape, every fiber and ink blot.
Something moves near my feet and I jump. It’s just a rat, one of hordes from the city. They’ve grown bolder during these past few seasons, always darting out of alleys and running by arches, desperate—like us—to fill their bellies.
As it squeaks away, nails tapping in rhythm, I inspect the darkened street before me. Lamplight glows from a crooked post, but the shadows are still and the windows are empty. A leaf-strewn house looms in the distance, enticing me over the cobblestone ground. That house is the reason I’ve ventured so late into this weary part of town. Beside me, buildings cringe with moss. Walkways glisten with dirty puddles. Teetering balconies slouch from walls with garments strung between casements like cobwebs.
But that smell.
I halt to sniff the air. It wafts from the dwelling ahead of me. It winds from beneath its splintered panes—the pungent scent of broth and ale.
            I wish it were stew.
Saliva brims on my tongue at the thought of meat cooked with spices and oils. The last time venison passed my lips, my mother was alive, my father smiled, and the future stretched before us, unending. Those were the days of Emperor Komran, a king who lived and bled for his people. I barely remember the white of his beard or how he limped through the fields during harvest. And it’s the same with my mother. I’m losing her, too. The curve of her cheek. The shade of her tresses. When she died, we set her afloat in the Geynes, and I sat on the bank with my toes in the water, not wanting to break that connection to her.
It’s a year tonight.
My chest starts to cave, but I fight and I fight to be still, to not cry. At least the dead are not hungry, not in turmoil. They do not see what Centriet has become.
I urge my feet toward the house. Komran would never have driven me here. When he reigned, our streets were routinely swept, and fountains dotted the well-kept pavements.
And medicine was—
A loose stone clacks. Forgetting my thoughts, I dart to an alcove. Since Komran’s son became our emperor, soldiers lurk where you’d least expect them.
In the dark, I steady my breaths, in and out. Not that I’m breaking any laws—that I know of. I listen to the night: crickets chirping, a soft breeze, and the whinny of a horse that’s so indistinct, perhaps it’s from Sledloe, the next village over.
I wait longer, just to be safe. Many of the soldiers are kind, though not all. Father says they’ve been granted more powers, but that we won’t know what it means for a while.
I hate not knowing. Just like tonight. I hate not knowing what awaits in the house. When the street remains silent, I rejoin the road, but my ankles wobble when I try to walk.
So I jog.
It soothes my jangled nerves, and I reach the house, breathless and flushed. Planks board the four square windows; rust from the nails seeps into the woodgrain. The stones are all different sizes and shapes, charred by the remnants of a long-ago fire. Ivy clings to the rutted surface, its end pieces curling like ribbon from the door.
You should leave, Meadow.
But I raise my fist. All I need to do is knock. I’ve already abandoned my stonebrick at dusk without letting Father know where I have gone. The loss of my mother hits me anew—the pain a reminder of why I have come here. That I’ve come to move on, to at last let her go. Even though I’m not sure what that means anymore.
Or if I can.
“Are you here for the Gathering?”
The question shatters the bracing air. Someone’s behind me and I spin to face him, shrouding myself with my long dark hair. But I’m wrong. There are two. One’s tall and strapping. The other is smaller in every way. As they chance another step, I notice that they’re young—about my age, seventeen.
“Why I’m here is not your concern,” I say.
“We do beg your pardon,” the smaller boy says. He has a scar on his brow like a cutlass. And another on his forearm, dark as molasses. He gestures to the vacant street behind him. “Have you ever visited Yahres before?”
“Yes,” I say, though my words are false. It’s safer to make them believe I’m a local.
            “And your name?” asks the boy, but I shake my head at the same time his companion lets out a grunt.
            “Don’t bother,” he snaps. “We leave tomorrow.”
            The smaller boy nods, looking slightly embarrassed.
“We watched you for a bit,” he tells me.
“And what did you see?” I ask.
He smiles. One of his teeth is chipped. “We assumed you’d turn back many times.”
My pulse quickens at their presumption, especially since it’s mostly true. The slums of Yahres are outside the walls. My home lies inside in the village of Maytown. In Maytown we’re warned to always tread wisely in places like Yahres, Florian, and Sledloe. Perhaps that’s why I’d appeared so unsure. Yet neither of the pair looks remarkably dangerous.
“You proved us wrong,” the boy continues.
“No hard feelings,” I say.
He laughs. “Come inside with us.”
He holds out a hand, but I back away.
“Forgive me,” he says, withdrawing swiftly, color blotching his cheeks. “We lodge with the man who hosts these gatherings . . . and I noticed you had a parchment to read.”
“You saw?” I jolt, clutching it tightly, blood surging through my legs and arms. Since Mother’s passing, it happens quite often. My heart beats fast, and I need to run.
“You don’t have to read it,” he says.
I swallow.
“Although you can if you want to, of course. Unless you didn’t come here for the Gathering?”
“I doubt she’s here for anything else.”
It’s much too hard to read his expression, but the taller boy speaks with a dash of disdain. He sidesteps his friend with two no-nonsense strides.
“You don’t know my business,” I say.
“Oh, please.” He comes in close, reaching past me, and the scent of leather and steel is intense. It reminds me of sitting in my father’s workroom when he’s mending quivers for the elder archers. The boy raps on the door with his knuckles. Three times, then nothing. The way we’re supposed to. “Of course you’re here for the Gathering,” he says, as metal grinds and a peephole opens.
My need to bolt escalates.
“Get in. You’re the last,” says the face inside. The cumbersome timber shifts outward before us. It breaks the leaves and they flutter in spirals.
“After you,” the tall boy says.
The parchment feels like a stone in my hand. It dawns on me how stifled this is—this narrow black corridor, deep in the kingdom.
I brush the still-dangling leaves to one side. The passageway stretches a good twenty paces. I could perish in there and no one would find me.
“Are you waiting for something?”
“No,” I say.

Ignoring the boy, I stoop to enter, trying to focus my thoughts on the brickwork. The blocks have eroded from years of scuffing. They smell like lichen and tarnished copper. Light spills through the distant doorframe, and our guide clears his throat to urge us on. I double my pace, though the boys hang back. The weight of their presence behind me is strong.

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Kathy Kimbray is a YA author from Australia. She loves summer, dancing and dreaming up big ideas. A SHIFTING OF STARS is the first book in her thrilling new YA fantasy series.

WEBSITE • GOODREADS • TWITTER • FACEBOOK • INSTAGRAM

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Continue on for the giveaway! ~

a Rafflecopter giveawayThanks so much for stopping by! ♥ Happy Reading!

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{Blog Tour} HOLD MY HAND by Michael Barakiva—Author Interview + Giveaway

2019-05-22T15:44:00.000-05:00

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE TOUR SCHEDULE

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Hold My Hand
by Michael Barakiva

Alek Khederian thinks about his life B.E. and A.E.: Before Ethan and After Ethan. Before Ethan, Alek was just an average Armenian-American kid with a mess of curly dark hair, grades not nearly good enough for his parents, and no idea of who he was or what he wanted. After he got together with Ethan, Alek was a new man. Stylish. Confident. (And even if he wasn’t quite marching in LGBTQ parades), Gay and Out and Proud.

With their six-month anniversary coming up, Alek and Ethan want to do something special to celebrate. Like, really special. Like, the most special thing two people in love can do with one another. But Alek’s not sure he’s ready for that. And then he learns something about Ethan that may not just change their relationship, but end it.

Alek can’t bear the thought of finding out who he’d be P.E.: Post-Ethan. But he also can’t forgive or forget what Ethan did. Luckily, his best friend Becky and madcap Armenain family are there to help him figure out whether it’s time to just let Ethan go, or reach out and hold his hand.

Hold My Hand is a funny, smart, relatable take on the joy and challenges of teenage love, the boundaries of forgiveness, and what it really means to be honest.

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• Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQIA+
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
• Add the book on Goodreads!
• Purchase: Amazon / B&N / Kobo / TBD / IndieBound

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with Michael Barakiva

LM: What inspired you to write Hold My Hand?

Michael: I was betrayed by the person I loved most in the world. Later, as I was reflecting on said betrayal, I asked myself, “I wonder what it would be like if Alek or Ethan betrayed the other?”

LM: Tell us a little bit about your main character—Alek—who is he?

Michael: He is a queer Armenian American teenager living in the suburbs of New Jersey, which is very different from my story, as I was a queer Israeli Armenian American teenager living in the suburbs of New Jersey.

LM: What was the most challenging part of writing Hold My Hand?

Michael: The process of forgiveness – of actually digging deep down inside, of admitting how you’ve hurt and been hurt and sorting through that messy octopus of emotions was a difficult place to spend time as I was writing this book. It brought back all the feelings – of being betrayed, of betraying others.

Also, like, all writing is hard.

LM: Can you give us a behind-the-scenes story about this book?

Michael: Not without re-breaking my heart.

LM: Can you share one of your favorite quotes or scenes from Hold My Hand?

Michael: OMG yes – the heart of this book is the scene in the middle (spoiler, sort of) where Alek and Ethan are trying to figure out how to have sex for the first time. The fumbling, the awkwardness, the hilarity of it all – it was something that I really wanted to write about, and my editor (the inimitable Joy Peskin) was great about getting this scene out of me.

There’s another quote that I sort of paraphrase late in the book, about how honesty without kindness is a kind of brutality – that was also a big part of the book for me.

LM: If this book had a theme song, what would it be?

Michael: Well, “Hold My Hand” is a GORGEOUS song by Brandy Clark, which inspired the book in many ways.

Also, “Seventeen” by Troye Sivan is going to play in the opening credits, once the movie is made. Not that the options have been obtained or anything – I’m just sure it’s going to happen, and when it does, “Seventeen” will be played and I will understand cosmic fulfillment.

LM: What do you enjoy doing when you aren't writing?

Michael: I have the best day job in the world – as the artistic director of the Hangar Theatre and as a freelance director of plays. I love theatre – its intimacy, its immediacy. I also run a theatre company in NYC, called The Upstart Creatures (Www.upstartcreatures.com), which produces play readings with gourmet home made food, all for free.

I also love playing soccer, board games, I’m learning how to knit, and I’m binging on Netflix like it’s going out of style, which it is clearly anything but.

LM: Tell us three random facts about yourself!

Michael: I am born on my father’s birthday.

I hate eggplant.

I was flat-footed but after years of (Iyengar) yoga my feet are transforming to non-flat footed and it feels like a kind of miracle

LM: Thank you so much for answering my questions today! Is there anything you'd like to add; anything you'd like to say to your readers?

Michael: Thank you for reading! Reading is the best. Reading will save the world.

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Michael Barakiva, author of One Man Guy, is a theater director and writer of Armenian/Israeli descent who lives in Manhattan with his husband, Rafael. He is a graduate of Vassar College and the Juilliard School, an avid cook and board-game player, and a soccer player with the New York Ramblers.

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Release Blitz: THE MISSING SEASON by Gillian French—Excerpt + Giveaway

2019-05-21T14:49:00.000-05:00

PRESENTED BY ROCKSTAR BOOK TOURS

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The Missing Season
by Gillian French

From the author of Edgar Award finalist Grit and The Lies They Tell comes a tense, atmospheric novel for fans of E. Lockhart and Marieke Nijkamp, about friendship, truth, and the creeping fears that can't be outrun.

Whenever another kid goes missing in October, the kids in the old factory town of Pender know what is really behind it: a monster out in the marshes that they call the Mumbler.

That's what Clara's new crew tells her when she moves to town. Bree and Sage, who take her under their wing. Spirited Trace, who has taken the lead on this year's Halloween prank war. And magnetic Kincaid, whose devil-may-care attitude and air of mystery are impossible for Clara to resist.

Clara doesn't actually believe in the Mumbler--not like Kinkaid does. But as Halloween gets closer and tensions build in the town, it's hard to shake the feeling that there really is something dark and dangerous in Pender. Lurking in the shadows. Waiting to bring the stories to life.

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• Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery
• Publisher: HarperTeen
• Add the book on Goodreads!
• Purchase: Amazon / B&N / Kobo / IndieBound / TBD

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“It’s sad, you coming here.” Kincaid takes me in, his smile fading. “Now you’ve got no chance.”

No chance. Like he read it in my tea leaves or the lines of my palm. “Why?”

“Because he only takes Pender kids. Likes our taste, I guess.” Kincaid drops his board, glides backward on one foot, never breaking eye contact. “Like . . . hopelessness.”

“And Steak-umms from the caf,” somebody says, making people snicker.

“Liver.” Trace shows his teeth. “God, I love that shit.”

“What about Gavin Cotswold?” Sage says. “Have they figured out how he died yet?”

“Mumbler got him.” Trace.

“He OD’d.” Bree gives Trace a withering look. “He went out in the woods, got fucked up, and died. His own mom thinks so.”

“I heard the animals didn’t leave enough of him behind to be sure.” Trace says. Then, to Kincaid, “Tell her about the first boy. Ricky Whoever.”

“Sartain. Ricky Sartain.” Behind Kincaid, most of the activity has stopped, everybody pulling up some concrete to listen. He’s holding court, a storyteller who knows his audience. “It all started, like, twenty years ago. Kid went missing two days before they found him on the banks of the marsh, way out by the railroad bridge.” Kincaid nods slowly, easing into it. “Somebody put their hands all over him.”

More covert laughter, Trace’s whisper: “Loved to death.”

Kincaid entwines his fingers, working his palms together in sinuous rhythm. “Squeezed him, crushed him. Mashed his spine, smashed his belly.”

A voice speaks up: “My mom said that kid got hit by the train.”

“Of course she did.” Kincaid doesn’t turn. “She also told you that Santa Claus is real and honesty is the best policy and if you’re good, you’ll get into heaven, right?”

Snorts. Somebody mimics, “But my mommy said,” whacking the boy who interrupted with a baseball cap.

“He was folded in half.” Sage grips Trace’s forearm. “That’s what I heard.”

“No.” Kincaid’s hands are tai chi slow. “Lengthwise.”

“Stop.” Bree says it under her breath; I’m the only one who hears.

“Ricky disappeared right around Halloween. That’s the pattern.” Kincaid skates a circuit around us, dismounts, and slaps the tail of the board so it pops into his hand again, all one smooth movement that I wish I could watch again frame by frame. “Truth. After, Ricky’s friends told everybody how they’d all gone out to the railroad bridge to smash pumpkins one night, and there was somebody hiding under there. Too dark to see, but they heard him, mumbling and yammering away.”

Yip, yip, yip! I look up to see audience participation, lumbering shapes aping around the others, sounding like a zoo after hours—Ahhh-ah-ah-ah! Mwaaa-hoohoo!

“Next time anybody saw Ricky, he was red guacamole.” Kincaid pauses, smiling faintly, but he’s not really seeing me now. “Ever since, Mumbler’s been around. Takes a bad kid every few years, always in October. Grown-ups have some bullshit excuse for what happened to them, but we know.”

Nods pass around the circle. I watch for inside looks—they’ll drop the act when they see I’m not taken in—but the quiet drags on. “What’s the Mumbler look like?” I hold
Kincaid’s gaze, willing him to let me in on this, let me prove I don’t scare easy. “So I’ll know him if I see him.”

Kincaid looks to Trace, again with the smile that creases his eyes into merry slits, a kid showing his little sister where Mom hides the Christmas presents. “We can take you to him.”

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I’m a ridiculous, sometimes cranky, often hungry, frequently writing flibbertigibbet who really hopes she can keep doing this for a living.

My debut novel, GRIT (HarperTeen), was an Indie Next List pick, a Junior Library Guild Selection, received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews and ALA Booklist, was an Edgar Award Finalist, a South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Finalist, and received both a 2018 Lupine Award from the Maine Library Association and a 2018 Maine Literary Award from the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance.

My other novels include THE DOOR TO JANUARY (Islandport Press; Bram Stoker Award Finalist), THE LIES THEY TELL (HarperTeen; 2019 International Thriller Award Finalist, 2019 Maine Literary Award Finalist, 2018 Junior Library Guild Selection), and THE MISSING SEASON (HarperTeen, coming 5/21/2019; preorder giveaway happening now). My short fiction has placed in Writer’s Digest and Zoetrope: All Story contests, as well as appearing in such publications as Weirdbook and Creepy Campfire Stories for Grownups.

I hold a BA in English from the University of Maine, and I’m a member of the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance, Mystery Writers of America, and the Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators. Currently, I still live in my native state of Maine–shocker, I know–with my husband and sons, where I’m perpetually agonizing over my next novel (in the best possible way, of course!)

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{Blog Tour} INTO THE MADNESS by A.K. Koonce + Giveaway

2019-05-20T01:30:00.000-05:00

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE TOUR SCHEDULE

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Into the Madness
by A.K. Koonce

I didn’t fall into a place of wonder and madness. I was taken.

This world is a perfect, enchanting wonderland. The people here are just as alluring.

But we all have our secrets.

Like the white rabbit who’s leading a rebellion right under the King’s nose. Or the sweet March Hare who’s actually an enemy spy. Or my one true ally in all of this, a killer who’s so feared they won’t even say his real name.

As for me, I have more secrets than all of them combined. Because Wonderland is waiting for the beloved Alice Liddell.

And I’m just the bitch pretending to be her.

This is a reverse harem series, recommended for readers 18 and over.

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• Genres: Adult, Retellings, Fantasy
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• Purchase: Amazon Kindle / Paperback

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A.K. Koonce is a USA Today best-selling author. She's a mom by day and a fantasy and paranormal romance author by night. She keeps the fantastical stories in her mind on an endless loop, while she tries her best to focus on her actual life and not that of the spectacular but demanding fictional characters who always fill her thoughts.

Join A.K.'s newsletter for news, bonus content and sneak peeks: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/p9k6w8

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Book Blast: LYING NEXT TO ME by Gregg Olsen + Giveaway

2019-05-20T01:00:00.000-05:00

PRESENTED BY JEAN BOOK NERD

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Lying Next to Me
by Gregg Olsen

No matter what you see, no matter what you’ve heard, assume nothing.

Adam and Sophie Warner and their three-year-old daughter are vacationing in Washington State’s Hood Canal for Memorial Day weekend. It’s the perfect getaway to unplug—and to calm an uneasy marriage. But on Adam’s first day out on the water, he sees Sophie abducted by a stranger. A hundred yards from shore, Adam can’t save her. And Sophie disappears.

In a nearby cabin is another couple, Kristen and Connor Moss. Unfortunately, beyond what they’ve heard in the news, they’re in the dark when it comes to Sophie’s disappearance. For Adam, at least there’s comfort in knowing that Mason County detective Lee Husemann is an old friend of his. She’ll do everything she can to help. She must.

But as Adam’s paranoia about his missing wife escalates, Lee puts together the pieces of a puzzle. The lives of the two couples are converging in unpredictable ways, and the picture is unsettling. Lee suspects that not everyone is telling the truth about what they know—or they have yet to reveal all the lies they’ve hidden from the strangers they married

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• Genres: Adult, Mystery, Thriller
• Add the book on Goodreads!
• Purchase: Amazon / B&N / TBD

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Throughout his career, Gregg Olsen has demonstrated an ability to create a detailed narrative that offers readers fascinating insights into the lives of people caught in extraordinary circumstances.

A New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author, Olsen has written nine nonfiction books, nine novels, a novella, and contributed a short story to a collection edited by Lee Child.

The award-winning author has been a guest on dozens of national and local television shows, including educational programs for the History Channel, Learning Channel, and Discovery Channel. He has also appeared on Dateline NBC, William Shatner's Aftermath, Deadly Women on Investigation Discovery, Good Morning America, The Early Show, The Today Show, FOX News, CNN, Anderson Cooper 360, MSNBC, Entertainment Tonight, CBS 48 Hours, Oxygen's Snapped, Court TV's Crier Live, Inside Edition, Extra, Access Hollywood, and A&E's Biography.

In addition to television and radio appearances, he has been featured in Redbook, USA Today, People,Salon magazine, Seattle Times, Los Angeles Times and the New York Post.

The Deep Dark was named Idaho Book of the Year by the ILA and Starvation Heights was honored by Washington's Secretary of State for the book's contribution to Washington state history and culture. His Young Adult novel, Envy, was the official selection of Washington for the National Book Festival.

Olsen, a Seattle native, lives in Olalla, Washington with his wife, twin daughters, three chickens, Milo (an obedience school dropout cocker spaniel) and Suri (a mini dachshund so spoiled she wears a sweater).

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{Blog Tour} BRIGHT BURNING STARS by A.K. Small + Excerpt

2019-05-16T13:12:00.000-05:00

PRESENTED BY ALGONQUIN BOOKS

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Bright Burning Stars
by A.K. Small

Best friends Marine Duval and Kate Sanders have trained at the Paris Opera Ballet School since childhood, where they’ve formed an inseparable bond forged by respective family tragedies and a fierce love for dance. When the body of a student is found in the dorms just before the start of their final year, Marine and Kate begin to ask themselves what they would do to win the ultimate prize: to be the one girl selected to join the Opera’s prestigious corps de ballet. Would they die? Cheat? Seduce the most talented boy in the school, dubbed the Demigod, hoping his magic would make them shine, too? Neither girl is sure.

But then Kate gets closer to the Demigod, even as Marine has begun to capture his heart. And as selection day draws near, the competition—for the prize, for the Demigod—becomes fiercer, and Marine and Kate realize they have everything to lose, including each other.

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• Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery
• Pub Date: May 21, 2019
• Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
• Add the book on Goodreads!
• Purchase: Amazon / B&N / Kobo / IndieBound / TBD

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Marine

We stood outside the circular studio in the apex of the dance annex. Some of us obsessively rose up and down in first position to break the soles of our shoes, while others, like the boys, tucked their t-shirts into their tights and cracked their necks for luck. I didn’t do anything but clutch Kate’s hand. Kate and I always held hands before the weekly générales. But before I could ask her what she thought the new ratings would be, who would outshine whom on The Boards after only a week and four days of ballet classes and rehearsals in our final year at Nanterre, my name was called first. A bad omen: in six years of dancing here, the faculty had never switched us out of alphabetical order before. Isabelle The Brooder always started. I danced third.

“Break a leg,” Kate said in English before I stepped into the studio, which made me smile because saying things in her mother tongue was Kate’s way of showing love.

Inside the vast round room, three judges—judging deities really—sat erect behind a long folding table. Valentine Louvet, the director, was on the left, her dark hair twisted into a loose knot and rings adorning her fingers. She would sometimes look up at the giant skylight and I would swear that her lips moved, that she discussed students with Nijinsky’s ghost through the thick glass. Francis Chevalier, the ballet master, an older man with sweat stains radiating from under his arms, was on the right. While you danced, he rhythmically jabbed the tip of his cane into the floor. In the middle sat The Witch, aka Madame Brunelle, in glasses and a tight bun. When she disliked a student’s movement, which was almost always, we all whispered that worm-like silver smoke seeped from her nostrils and her ears.

I didn’t look them in the eyes for fear of turning to salt. Instead, I hurried to the yellow X that demarked center, taking note of all the mirrors that wrapped around me like gauze. I tried not to criticize my reflection, how I was one kilogram fatter than when I’d last performed in May. I’d found out earlier this morning, courtesy of Mademoiselle Fabienne, the school nutritionist. Weigh-ins here were like random drug tests. You were called and asked to step onto the beastly scale whenever faculty felt like it. Now, all I could do was suck my stomach in and pray it didn’t affect my score. I placed my right foot on the tape, my left in tendu behind, then waited for the pianist’s introduction.

As I offered the judges my most heartfelt port de bras, I concentrated on the ivory of my leotard, an atrocious color on me, yet a coveted symbol of my new elite rank. Seven other sixteen year-old rat-girls and I had risen to First Division. The variation we were to perform today was obscure, from The Three Musketeers, but I didn’t mind. Actually, I preferred low profile dances. The pressure somehow felt less. I also liked the three-count waltz, the way the notes filled up inside me, the rush of the C major melody, all making me zigzag across the studio. Music was why I kept going, my ticking heart. As the piano filled the air, my arms felt fluid, my balances sharp, and my leaps explosive. Even my hunger diminished. I steered myself from left to right then from front to back. My spirits lifted and my nerves calmed. Vas-y. I can do this, I thought. And then I remembered to give the judges my stage smile. Maybe I’ll rise from Number 3 to Number 2. During a slow triple pirouette, I held my foot above my knee, balanced, and stuck my landing in perfect fourth position, the number 2 floating like an angel’s halo above my head.

But then I forgot to anticipate the piano’s shift in keys, the sudden acceleration. Realizing I was an eighth of a note off, I skipped a glissade to catch up to my saut de chat. Ne t’en fais pas, I told myself. Adjust. Yet, at once, The Witch stood up and snapped her fingers, silencing the music.

“I thought you were here because of your auditory gift, Duval,” Madame Brunelle said. “Don’t students call you The Pulse?”

I looked down at my feet. I hadn’t gone through three fourths of the variation.

“They must be wrong. Would you like to have someone else come in and demonstrate? Teach you whole notes from half notes?”

“No,” I whispered.

“Miss Sanders,” Madame Brunelle yelled.

Kate poked her head inside the studio. A joke, I thought. Kate was a dynamic ballet dancer but well known for her lack of rhythm.

“Mademoiselle Duval needs help with her waltz tempo. Would you run the variation through for her?”

What?

Kate nodded. She tiptoed into the studio, setting herself on the X the way I had done earlier.

“Shadow her, Duval,” Madame Brunelle ordered.

She snapped her fingers and the pianist began again.

I danced behind Kate. We moved in unison, gliding into long pas de basques, arms extended. Kate seemed weightless, her heels barely touching the ground. A genuine smile fluttered on her lips. Her ivory leotard fitted her long narrow frame like skin. Blue crystal teardrops dangled from her ears as she spun. They glittered like fireflies. All of Kate glittered. The afternoon sun poured in from the skylight, lighting her up like a flame. The variation lasted a million years. At every step, my face grew hotter. The studio door had been left wide open, so I saw in the mirror’s reflection that other First Division dancers were peering inside and watching our odd duo. A wave of humiliation nearly toppled me. Madame Brunelle did not stop the music this time. She waited for Kate and me to finish with our révérence, then she dismissed us with a flick of the finger.

I ducked out of the studio into the stairwell and didn’t wait for Kate. I could have sought refuge in the First Division dressing rooms but that was too obvious a hiding place so I rushed down three flights of stairs and into the courtyard. A mild September breeze blew. I fought back tears. It would have been easier, I thought, if The Witch had picked someone else. Anyone else. But Kate? Pitting me against my best friend? I wished I could keep walking past the trees, alongside the fence, out of the gates, down L’Allée de La Danse, to the metro, all the way home to the center of Paris and my mother’s boulangerie. There, inside with the warmth and the sugary smells, I would find a tight hug, an, “It’s okay, Chérie. You don’t have to do this unless you want to.” But I knew I wouldn’t. I’d have to go back to the dorms to change into street clothes or at least take off my pointe shoes and then I’d see Oli’s battered demi pointes on my bed. Plus, I’d come this far. Hadn’t I? Only 274 days until the final Grand Défilé. Judgment Day: when everyone, except for two strikingly gifted students—one female, one male—got fired in the top division. I plopped down into the middle of the courtyard and found the sky. How could I have messed up on tempo? I closed my eyes and inhaled.

“Hey!” Kate yelled a minute later.

I started.

She stood at the entrance of the courtyard, breathing hard. “Do you think you could have gone a little faster?” she said, crossing her arms. She was still in her leotard, tights, and pointe shoes. Her neck flushed bright red from running. Wisps of blond hair framed her face. “You hurtled down the stairs like a bat out of hell, M. I thought you were going to tumble and fall.”

Bat out of hell? I nearly corrected her and said that here we used comme un bolide—like a rocket—but instead I replied, voice sharp, “Too bad I didn’t.”

“You don’t mean it,” she said. “Mistakes happen. You’re only human.”

Kate sat down beside me. She smelled woodsy, even after she danced. We watched as pigeons flittered around the bright white buildings. On our left were the dorms with their common rooms at the bottom. In front, the dance annex loomed. It was known for its grand staircase, bay windows, cafeteria, and Board Room where all big decisions were made. On the right was the academic wing with classrooms and faculty offices. Little pathways led from one building to the others with awnings in case of rain. If I turned around, I could peek at the high concrete wall hidden between oak trees. Sometimes I wondered if the barrier was there to keep rats from fleeing or strangers from trespassing.

Kate squeezed my ankle then flashed me her best smile. “The Witch is an asshole. Seriously. Don’t sweat it.”

At her touch, my eyes filled. The tempo mix up hadn’t been Kate’s fault. Only mine. I quickly wiped the tears with the back of my hand.

“Have I told you that I dig wearing ivory?” Kate said. “Last night, I called my dad and tried to explain it to him. How good it felt to parade around in this sublime color. I said it was like receiving the freaking Medal of Honor but he didn’t get it.”

“Of course not.” I shook my head.

And just like that, the weird moment between us, the resentment I’d felt at having to dance behind her, passed.

I was about to tell her that after what had happened in the circular studio I would probably never wear ivory again, when younger rats came out into the courtyard, disturbing our privacy. Everyone always whispered about everyone else while waiting for ratings. Within the hour, the Board Room would open. Rankings would be posted on the wall. Rats who were rated below fifth place might be sent home. Now and again, I’d see a parent waiting by the school entrance and the wretched sight would make me flinch. But Kate, who was always at my side, would loop an arm around me and say, “Face it, M. Not everyone is cut out for this.” Her thick skin soothed me today.

“God, I can’t stand the sitting around,” Kate said. “Let’s play Would You.”

“I thought you and I banned that game,” I replied.

Kate laughed. “Things don’t go away just because you want them to, Miss Goody Two-Shoes. Or because the stupid rules say so.”

I slapped her shoulder.

“Ouch. Loosen up. I go first,” she said. “Would you die for The Prize?”

The Prize. What every rat girl and boy was after: the large envelope with a red wax stamp on the back, a single invitation to become part of the Paris Opera’s corps de ballet. The thought of seeing that envelope made me dizzy with possibility. I almost said yes but she cut me off.

“If I close my eyes,” Kate said. “I feel the envelope’s weight in my hands, the warm wax beneath my thumbs. It’s damn near euphoric.”

I looked away. Kate’s hunger for success, for being the Chosen One was sometimes so acute that it frightened me. “Are you asking because of Yaëlle?”

The Number 3 rat from last year, a sweet girl from Brittany, once our roommate, had been found in her tiny single, lying atop her twin bed, in her ballet clothes, bones protruding at strange angles, eyes sunk deep in their sockets, dead a few days before Le Grand Défilé last May. She’d starved herself in the name of The Prize. Ever since, we’d all been on edge. Summer hadn’t changed the mood. If anything, getting back together after a few months away had heightened the sense of dread.

“You’re not answering my question.”

“No,” I decided. “I wouldn’t die for The Prize. Would you?”

“Yes,” Kate said. “Absolutely.”

There was no hesitation in her voice.

“I’ve got another,” she said. “Would you hurt The Ruler for The Prize?”

Gia Delmar, the Ruler. Always Number 1 on the boards, she was our biggest rival but this wasn’t the time to think about her. Not before rankings. “I wouldn’t hurt anyone,” I said, then I added, “Would you rehearse night and day?”

“Yes. But would you do drugs?”

“Would you?”

“Rehearse night and day, sure. Drugs? Maybe.”

“Kate!” I said.

“Would you try to suck up to Monsieur Chevalier?”

“No. But maybe Louvet.”

Kate laughed. “I know. Would you sleep with The Demigod?”

The Demigod? I shivered. Like The Ruler, The Demigod was off limits. As a rare conservatory transfer, he’d magically appeared in Second Division one sunny day last February and had outdone everyone. I didn’t want to think about the leaders, the rats most likely to succeed, even if they were supremely sexy. “No,” I answered. “Of course not. Would you?”

“Maybe.”

“That’s sick,” I said. “Sleeping with someone to climb the ladder?”

Kate lowered her voice. “The Demigod is different, M. You know. Everybody knows. Even faculty. Look how they gawk at him. His talent is greater than the sun and the stars combined. Proximity to him is—” she paused, searching for her words. “The key to everything. Think of it as Lee Krasner, Jackson Pollock’s lover, collaborating with him on a canvas. Except that our canvas is four dimensional, made up of flesh, of bodies. Lee’s paint strokes had to intensify, right? The Demigod’s balletic gift, his glow, rubs off like glitter on his partners. Haven’t you noticed? Anyone who spends time with him in and out of the studio shoots up on The Boards. M, he is The King. You know what dance is? The art of the sensual. Electricity, entanglement, ease. You partner with him and you will blow the roof off this effing place. Plus,” she sucked in her breath, kept me in suspense. “He’s got the hottest quads in the universe.”

I imagined Cyrille flying into splits, his thighs stiffening under silver tights, what his hands might feel like clasping mine if I was ever asked to partner with him. My whole body warmed. Kate was right. The Demigod was like food, like one of my mother’s pastries. You knew that eating it was bad for you, but you just couldn’t help yourself. I was about to warn Kate that the Greek demigods, as attractive as they were, ate their young and their lovers when Monsieur Arnaud, the groundkeeper, walked over to the old fashioned bell and rang it. The wooden doors creaked open and all the dancers scurried inside the Board Room. I still sat outside, frozen. What if I was ranked fifth or lower and got sent home? I thought of Oli. My promise to dance for him no matter what. Failing was not an option. Kate snagged my hand and pulled me up.

“Come on, sweetie,” she said.

I reluctantly followed her in.

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A.K. SMALL was born in Paris. At five years old, she began studying classical dance with the legendary Max Bozzoni, then later with Daniel Franck and Monique Arabian at the famous Académie Chaptal. At thirteen, she moved to the United States where she danced with the Pacific Northwest Ballet for one summer in Seattle and with the Richmond Ballet Student Company for several years. She’s a graduate of the College of William and Mary and has an MFA in fiction from Vermont College of Fine Arts. When she’s not writing, she spends time with her husband, her puppy, and her three daughters, and practices yoga. Bright Burning Stars is her first novel.

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Book Blitz: THE RULE OF MANY by Ashley & Leslie Saunders—Excerpt + Giveaway

2019-05-13T00:30:00.000-05:00

PRESENTED BY XPRESSO BOOK TOURS

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The Rule of Many
by Ashley & Leslie Saunders

Born to a death sentence in a near-future America, rebellious sisters herald a revolution—if they can survive.

Twins Ava and Mira Goodwin defy the Rule of One simply by existing. The single-child law, ruthlessly enforced by Texas’s Governor Roth, has made the sisters famous fugitives and inspirations for the resurgent rebellion known as the Common.

But the relentless governor and his implacable Texas State Guard threaten that fragile hope, as Roth consolidates his power in a bid for ultimate authority.

As Ava and Mira relinquish the relative safety of their Canadian haven to stand against Roth, new allies arise: Owen, a gifted young programmer, impulsively abandons his comfortable life in a moment of compassion, while Zee, an abused labor camp escapee, finds new purpose in resistance.

The four will converge on Dallas for a reckoning with Roth, with nothing less than their destinies—and the promise of a future free from oppression—on the line.

Disobedience means death. But a life worth living demands rebellion.

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• Genres: Young Adult, Dystopia
• Publisher: Skyscape
• Add the book on Goodreads!
• Purchase: Amazon / B&N / IndieBound / TBD

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MIRA

Limos and luxury cars line the extensive circular driveway, stuffed with partygoers ready for the welcoming bash. Mrs. and Mr. Cross have already arrived with much fanfare from their son and his doting employees. I wonder if Ciro’s sisters are here.

I hear him get on the microphone, introducing his unwitting parents onto the stage of the overflowing banquet hall, the governor of Alberta and the mayor of Calgary looking on from the front row.

Everything’s falling nicely into place. If only the man of the hour would show.

I look at my watch: 7:30 p.m. He’s late. Ava’s knee bounces furiously, as if she can shake out her anxiety.

“He’ll come,” I say.

From our hideout in the corner of the foyer, shadowed and easily overlooked, we have the best seats in the house. A perfect vantage point to see and be unseen. Ava scans the budding festivities through the glass walls on our left. I keep my eyes on the glass windows straight ahead, seeing past the dazzling flares from the cars’ headlights, holding out for the first glimpse of the president.

A string quartet begins to play, and an electric energy pulsates through the hotel, enlivening the crowd around us with a giddy exhilaration, and I can’t help but feel it too. Eager, I spring to my feet. I pace up and down our tucked-away corner, checking the time, watching Emery from across the room, waiting on her signal.

“Do you hear that?” Ava asks. She stares up at the ceiling. I move beside her as we listen to the muffled roar of whirling blades slicing the air somewhere above the building.

“A helicopter,” Ava says.

“He’s here.”

We look to Emery, who stands near the entrance, her gaze locked skyward. Guests file past as she removes a headscarf from her pocket, drapes the silk over her distinctive curls, and pulls it into a tight knot at the back of her neck. She folds her right arm over her chest, our cue to move.

I feel, rather than see, Barend steal into place behind us, our long shadow, as we push to the end of the foyer. Pawel detaches himself from the crowd and crosses our path as he follows Emery out the front door. “Lots of luck,” he whispers earnestly. Like luck has anything to do with it. It’s all up to us.

Our target is the oversized clock that consumes the entire wall alongside the vacant concierge desk. Ava stops before the number six, and we slip behind a false door and stride side by side down an empty staff hallway. Three right turns, two left, a final door, and we’re outside.

There are no lights behind the hotel and no people. The night is chilly and moonless, but we find the footpath we were directed to take and make our silent way to the small grove of trees just twenty yards out.

Ten paces in, Ava and I turn from the path and weave through the evergreens until we spot the narrow clearing that is to be our stage. We position ourselves in its center, shoulder to shoulder, and wait. Somewhere to our right, concealed within the trees and darkness, Barend stands guard.

When told of the plan, Emery immediately authorized the private rendezvous. She knows pleading our case face-to-face with the president is the only way. Cameras and screens provide a barrier,Emery said. The media paints you solely as American rebels. Let him see how human you are. With Pawel at her side, Emery is to meet and escort the president here, while Ciro entertains his parents and guests, keeping them safely ignorant inside the banquet hall.

The minutes tick off, and Ava starts to shiver from either the cold or nerves. Or is that me shivering? Ava and I brought no weapons with us, to show good faith. No guns, no knives. Just us, with our naked conviction and hope.

This could be our last stop, a final end to the endless chase. A place to plan and plot and devise our crucial counterattack.

Ava nudges me with a sharp elbow. She points to the trees in front of us. Two distinct shapes emerge, a faint silhouette floating behind.

“Ready?” I whisper needlessly. Ava tightens her jaw, and I ball my hands into white-knuckled fists. I take a big gulp of air and exhale slowly. My breath comes out in swirling smoke, reminding me of a dragon. There’s a fire inside me, and suddenly I feel warm and calm. One look from Ava and I know she feels it too.

We’re ready.

The outlines become faces and bodies. Emery appears first, then President Moore, with Pawel a few steps behind. I stare at Moore, transfixed, my eyes glued to the man who can grant us refuge.

He stumbles forward, as if his own eyes have not yet adjusted to the dark. I search his every feature, looking for any hint of surprise, or shock, or understanding. But his face, though startlingly attractive in the starlight, is blank. Indifferent.

“President Moore,” Emery says, “this is Ava and Mira Goodwin.” He looks at us cross-eyed, his round eyes squinting as he takes us in. We all stand motionless, awaiting his response.

“You don’t look identical to me,” the president finally states, his thin voice magnified in the still night air. “One of you’s slightly taller, the other rounder.”

The leader of the free world opens with an insult. My first reaction is to defend my identicalness. Surprising, when all I’ve ever wanted is to be seen as different from Ava.

“Sir—” Ava and I speak at the same time.

The president laughs. “Ah, there it is.” The ground spins as he turns to leave. “This conversation will be moved to a different setting. Just the twins and me.”

Barend detaches from the shadows. Pawel and Emery enclose my sister and me. Ava grabs my arm, her grip tight enough to bruise.

“We do not agree to any change—” Emery starts, but Moore shouts over her.

“Security!”

Everything shatters, all plans and expectations smashed to pieces.

A gunshot rings out, then two more.

“Run!” Emery yells.

The last thing I see is Ava’s face, twisted in fear and fury.

Then something covers my eyes. My mouth.

I’m thrown over a bulky shoulder, the deafening sounds of a helicopter growing louder with every footfall. With every one of my muffled screams.

I’m shoved against something solid. I reach out, arms flailing, but there’s no one beside me. Ava.

I feel the chopper lift into the sky. Two spinning blades taking me higher and higher away from Common ground.

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Hailing from the suburbs of Dallas, Texas, Ashley Saunders and Leslie Saunders are award-winning filmmakers and twin sisters who honed their love of storytelling at The University of Texas at Austin. While researching The Rule of One, they fell in love with America’s national parks, traveling the path of Ava and Mira. The sisters can currently be found with their Boston terriers in sunny Los Angeles, exploring hiking trails and drinking entirely too much yerba mate.

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BOOK REVIEW: Chicken Girl by Heather Smith

2019-05-07T20:00:00.000-05:00

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Title: Chicken Girl
Author: Heather Smith
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQIA+
Pages: 240
Pub Date: March 5, 2019
Publisher: Penguin Teen
Book Source: purchased
My Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Synopsis: Poppy used to be an optimist. But after a photo of her dressed as Rosie the Riveter is mocked online, she's having trouble seeing the good in the world. As a result, Poppy trades her beloved vintage clothes for a feathered chicken costume and accepts a job as an anonymous sign waver outside a restaurant. There, Poppy meets six-year-old girl Miracle, who helps Poppy see beyond her own pain, opening her eyes to the people around her: Cam, her twin brother, who is adjusting to life as an openly gay teen; Buck, a charming photographer with a cute British accent and a not-so-cute mean-streak; and Lewis a teen caring for an ailing parent, while struggling to reach the final stages of his gender transition. As the summer unfolds, Poppy stops glorifying the past and starts focusing on the present. But just as she comes to terms with the fact that there is good and bad in everyone, she is tested by a deep betrayal.

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*** POSSIBLE SPOILERS ***

Chicken Girl is the story of Poppy—a teen working at a summer job dressed as the chicken mascot for a local restaurant. Poppy used to be confident and love her body. She even participated in roller derby and was really good at it, but that was until a photo of her dressed as Rosie the Riveter made it's way onto an online forum called “I see fat people” and was edited and mocked. Now she is more withdrawn, spends more time alone, and tries to hide herself inside her chicken suit. This is until a strange group of people come into her life, starting with 6-year-old Miracle.

Miracle is where the mismatched cast of characters comes in. Miracle is six years old, yet she hangs out with teens and adults alike. Her mother is a prostitute and they live in a very tiny, very crappy home. Miracle spends her days hanging out under a bridge with the homeless and troubled people of the city. Poppy is basically led to this ragtag group via Miracle. We also have Lewis, a female-to-male transgender teen who is saving up for bottom surgery while he also takes care of a dying relative all on his own. Then there is Buck... oh gosh, he is such a dickhead. The guy is supposed to be charming at first, but I found him irritating from the get-go, and he only gets worse as the story goes on. He's mean, gets drunk and then makes fun of his friends and puts them down at every turn, Poppy included. And she is supposed to be his girlfriend. This book lost a star for that. While Buck did do some redemptive things, he was still a shitty person overall, in my opinion. The book involves a twist when it comes to Buck, and it did knock me for a loop and add an interesting element to the story. Still didn't like the guy though. Other interesting characters include an ex-gang member with a racist past, a drag queen with a mental illness (I don't think the author said what it was, unless I missed it), and Poppy's cranky Chinese boss at the chicken joint.

Poppy also has a twin brother named Cam. He's newly out of the closet and is quite flamboyant. This is a struggle for Poppy as she believes he is only trying to fit into a sort of gay stereotype. The two teens are very close and it shows with their banter as well as their concern for each other and what they each deal with throughout the story's progression. Their bantering wordplay with each other brings a much needed lightness and vein of humor to an otherwise quite serious story.

This book covers quite an array of relevant topics. Feminism, at it's core, as well as sexual assault, queer issues, racism, the homeless population, being a plus sized person and being comfortable with that, the cons of drinking or taking drugs, as well as family issues and the possibility of CPS taking a child out of the home.

Overall, this book really highlights personal growth. Poppy and those closest to her are all coming to terms with their respective struggles and learning how to become better, how to overcome and still be on top. It's a story of acceptance and standing up for yourself; about making a place for yourself in the world and embracing your quirks and differences. I loved the characters (aside from Buck, ew) and I think they all made so much progress throughout such a short book (at 240 pages). I definitely recommend it! Do keep in mind that it does contain some more adult themes such as sex work, sexual assault, and drug use.

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{Blog Tour} CARMILLA by Kim Turrisi—Excerpt + Giveaway

2019-05-07T00:30:00.000-05:00

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE TOUR SCHEDULE

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Carmilla
by Kim Turrisi

An adaptation of Shaftesbury's award-winning, groundbreaking queer vampire web series of the same name, Carmilla mixes the camp of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the snark of Veronica Mars, and the mysterious atmosphere of Welcome to Nightvale.

Newly escaped from the stifling boredom of a small town, college freshman Laura is ready to make the most of her first year at Silas University. But when her roommate, Betty, vanishes and a sarcastic, nocturnal philosophy student named Carmilla moves into Betty's side of the room, Laura decides to play detective. Turns out Betty isn't the first girl to go missing ? she's just the first girl not to come back.

All over campus, girls have been vanishing, and they are completely changed when (or if) they return. Even more disturbing are the strange dreams they recount: smothering darkness, and a strange pale figure haunting their rooms. Dreams that Laura is starting to have herself.

As Laura closes in on the answers, tensions rise with Carmilla. Is this just a roommate relationship that isn't working out, or does Carmilla know more than she's letting on about the disappearances?

What will Laura do if it turns out her roommate isn't just selfish and insensitive, but completely inhuman? And what will she do with the feelings she's starting to have for Carmilla?

Produced by Shaftesbury, and available on the YouTube channel KindaTV, Carmilla is a global sensation. A scripted transmedia series that puts a modern spin on the cult-classic gothic vampire novella by Joseph Sheridan LeFanu, Carmilla has generated over 71 million views and 245 million minutes of watch time across three seasons since its launch in 2014. It has been translated into more than 20 languages and also been made into a feature film.

Author Kim Turrisi brings her trademark humor and sensitivity to an adaptation that offers a deep dive for existing fans and a portal for new fans around the world.

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• Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, LGBTQIA+
• Publisher: Kids Can Press
• Add the book on Goodreads!
• Purchase: Amazon / B&N / Kobo / IndieBound / TBD

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After another night of insomnia, I stare at my stack of text- books. I’m certain I look like a wreck. Rat’s nest for hair, ice cream stains on my T-shirt. I’m surrounded by coffee, cookies and a box of my favorite chocolate-crunch cereal, attempting to start the outline for the big paper that counts as half of my grade. I don’t have one single word written, and I never procrastinate. College is hard. And different. At least this one is.

After half an hour, I have to admit I just can’t concentrate. I’ll work on my journalism project instead. It’s turning into more of a detailed video account of the manhunt for my lost roommate. Hey, that’s a strange phenomenon at Silas University, right? Every time I try to talk about anything, it turns into my quest to locate Betty.

Carmilla is nowhere to be found, which is fine by me. The less I have to interact with her, the better. I wish she was the one who was lost.

I turn the camera on and begin my vlog entry, keeping my voice low just in case. “Betty is still missing and she has been replaced with the roommate from hell. Look at this footage.” I click a link to what the camera caught while I was in class this week. “She steals my chocolate, she wears Betty’s clothes, she’s never up before four o’clock and there’s a nonstop stream of girls in our room. Check this out — this is a girl from my anthropology class with Carmilla on my bed.”

Danny should be there with me.
“Carmilla is the worst.”
I dunk a Pop-Tart in my coffee. “Well, guess what,” I continue.

“I told the girl of the week that Carmilla has a longtime girlfriend. She went crazy. Bam, revenge is mine. Now, I’m gonna use her soy milk on my cereal.” Maybe no one is following my video blog, but I sure feel better.

I reach into the fridge for her box of nondairy blech. MINE is scrawled in black Sharpie across the front, like she has to protect it. She has one thing in the fridge and lays claim to it while eating all of my food as she pleases.

I pop open the box and pour the soy milk all over my cereal. And I’m not gonna lie — I feel smug and victorious until I look down. The shrieking sound I’m sure the entire campus just heard came from the depths of my being.

This isn’t soy milk at all.

It’s blood. Or something that looks suspiciously like it.

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A graduate of Florida State University, Kim Turrisi began her career in film and television. After a year of on-set production (getting coffee, wrangling actors and taking lunch orders) Kim segued to the development side of the business. First working as a development executive at Columbia-Tri-Star and eventually shepherding many projects in family entertainment for Disney, Viacom and Hallmark.

Kim created and wrote an online web series for which she won a Daytime Emmy. She wrote for ABC Family's webisode series, PRETTY DIRTY SECRETS, an internet companion piece to smash hit PRETTY LITTLE LIARS.

While she’s always been a voracious reader and writer, she never thought about writing for teens until she immersed herself in the children’s publishing world as the Director of Special Projects for the Society of Book writers and Illustrators. There, reading children’s literature is a big part of her job.

Her debut Young Adult novel JUST A NORMAL TUESDAY is loosely based on the author's own experience, the debut YA novel follows 16-year-old Kai as she struggles through the emotional aftermath of her sister's suicide. Kai spends a month at grief camp, discovering a roadmap to piecing her broken heart back together.

One of Kim’s favorite parts of the writing process is to create playlists for her characters that she listens to when she writes. When she revises her manuscripts, she’s generally in mismatched plaid and her desk is riddled with junk food. She collects Chuck Taylor’s, Van’s, and has a killer sock collection.

Born in Hawaii, she credits her love of travel to her life as an Air Force brat moving every two years. When she isn’t writing or reading, she can be found obsessing over her dogs, Riley and Rocco. Represented by Tricia Lawrence at EMLA

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Release Blitz: ASK ME ANYTHING by Molly E. Lee + Giveaway

2019-05-06T21:26:00.000-05:00

PRESENTED BY CHAPTER BY CHAPTER BOOK TOURS

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Ask Me Anything
by Molly E. Lee

“Edgy and smart with a sweet and sexy core.” —Rachel Harris, New York Times bestselling author of Eyes on Me

I should’ve kept my mouth shut.

But Wilmont Academy’s been living in the Dark Ages when it comes to sex ed, and someone had to take matters into her own hands. Well, I’m a kick-ass coder, so I created a totally anonymous, totally untraceable blog where teens can come to get real, honest, nothing-is-off-limits sex advice.

And holy hell, the site went viral—and we’re talking way beyond Wilmont—overnight. Who knew this town was so hard up?

Except now the school administration is trying to shut me down, and they’ve forced Dean—my coding crush, aka the hottest guy in school—to try to uncover who I am. If he discovers my secret, I’ll lose him forever. And thousands of teens who need real advice won’t have anyone to turn to.

Ask me anything…except how to make things right.

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• Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
• Publisher: Entangled Teen
• Add the book on Goodreads!
• Purchase: Amazon / B&N / Kobo / TBD / IndieBound

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Molly E. Lee is an author best known for her romance novels, the Grad Night series and the Love on the Edge series. She is a 1001 Dark Nights Discovery Author for 2017. Molly writes Adult and Young Adult contemporary featuring strong female heroines who are unafraid to challenge their male counterparts, yet still vulnerable enough to have love sneak up on them. In addition to being a military spouse and mother of two + one stubborn English Bulldog, Molly loves watching storms from her back porch at her Midwest home, and digging for treasures in antique stores.

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BOOK REVIEW: The Arrival of Someday by Jen Malone

2019-05-05T18:04:00.000-05:00

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Title: The Arrival of Someday
Author: Jen Malone
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary
Pages: 352
Pub Date: July 23, 2019
Publisher: HarperTeen
Book Source: publisher via edelweiss
My Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Synopsis: Hard-charging and irrepressible eighteen-year-old Amelia Linehan could see a roller derby opponent a mile away—and that’s while crouched down, bent over skates, and zooming around a track at the speed of light. They don’t call her Rolldemort for nothing! What she couldn’t see coming, however, was the unexpected flare-up of a rare liver disorder she was born with. But now it’s the only thing she—and everyone around her—can think about.

With no guarantee of a viable organ transplant, everything Amelia’s been sure of—like her college plans, the mural she’d been commissioned to paint, or the possibility of one day falling in love—has become a huge question mark, threatening to drag her down into a sea of what-ifs she’s desperate to avoid.

Then a friend from the past shows up. With Will, it’s easy to forget about what’s lurking underneath the lightness of their time together. It’s easy to feel alive when all signs point elsewhere. On the other hand, with the odds decidedly not in her favor, Amelia knows this feeling couldn’t last forever. But what can?

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*** POSSIBLE SPOILERS ***

The Arrival of Someday follows 18-year-old Amelia, who was born with a rare liver disorder. She's known about it her whole life, but as the book opens up, Amelia finds out that her disorder has caught up with her and she needs a liver transplant a lot sooner than anyone ever thought she might.

Amelia is the quintessential roller-derby girl. She is edgy, tough, quirky, and outspoken. Throughout the book we see Amelia struggle with letting go of this image and accepting the image of being the “dying girl”... and in the process, push everyone in her life away. Her best friend plays a huge part in the book. She plans rallies and organ donor drives trying to raise awareness and support her friend. Amelia is torn over it and the type of attention it brings upon her. The friendship becomes tense as the book goes on, as do Amelia's relationships with her parents and brother. This pushes Amelia to seek out distractions from the reality of her situation.

This brings me to the romance in the book. It honestly wasn't a focal point, but it did play an important part in the story. Amelia's brother is away at college and enlists his best friend (Will) to check up on his sister's well-being. Amelia has always had a little crush on Will, so he becomes a nice distraction from reality for Amelia, but with nothing but a few kisses and some time spent together, a distraction is all it really ends up being. Amelia is eventually forced to face her reality and the possibility that she may never get a new liver.

I felt almost every emotion possible while reading this book. I was sad for Amelia, but annoyed with her for treating her friends so badly. At the same time, it was easy to sympathize with her due to her situation. I was amused with the interaction between Amelia and her brother via Words With Friends games. It was LOL worthy. :) The book brought me from every high to every low, and it was a rollercoaster. I think the author did such a great job of capturing the reader and pulling them deep into the story. I felt very attached to the characters and was very touched by the story. It highlighted so much how someone's death (or the possibility of it) can not only effect them, but everyone around them. Especially when it is someone SO young.

All in all, I definitely recommend this book. It really is an emotional one, though, so be prepared! The character building and growth is amazingly done, and the story plays out perfectly. I was hooked from beginning to end!

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Book Blitz: FORGIVEN ARE THE STARRY-EYED by Christine Doré Miller—Excerpt + Giveaway

2019-05-03T03:00:00.000-05:00

PRESENTED BY XPRESSO BOOK TOURS

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Forgiven Are the Starry-Eyed
by Christine Doré Miller

Naïve sixteen-year-old Andrea Cavanaugh is elated when Josh, a charismatic, bright-eyed piano prodigy, becomes her first boyfriend. But the closer she gets to him, the more she realizes that he is not the boy she first fell for. In its poignancy and emotional darkness, Forgiven Are the Starry-Eyed takes you deep into the delicate and devastating web of shame that spirals from the depths of dating violence when dreamy teenage love turns dark. Andrea must find not only an escape, but a belief that she is even worthy of freedom.

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• Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary
• Publisher: Evernight Teen
• Add the book on Goodreads!
• Purchase: Amazon / B&N / Kobo

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My eyelids closed as if they were being drawn down by sluggish, unhurried weights. When I forced them open after several seemingly endless moments, nothing had changed. I could still make out a blurry image of Josh standing nearby, Mr. Thompson's hands clenched firmly on Josh's shoulders from behind. There was a crowd, I think, and muffled voices. The steel school locker felt cold against my back and I recognized the familiar feeling that lately seemed to just dwell and ache in my bones. Fear, I think it was, mixed with just enough madness to keep the blood racing through my veins … fast. Too fast.

"Why did you do that, Andrea?" Josh shouted in my direction.

My eyes fell closed again. I don't remember what else he said. I just remember the feeling of each overly pronounced syllable piercing the air while he said it. I stared through the darkness that danced behind my heavy eyelids. What had I done?

I tried to pry open my hazy eyes to examine the faces of the expanding crowd as they stood, mouths agape. I only recognized a few. There were hardcover music books sprawled open on the tile floor at my feet. Confused, I looked to Josh, but the heavy silence of the room deafened any words he may have been saying. I gripped the ends of my soft, thin hair between my slender fingers and waited. Each thought sunk deeper than the last.

There was a poster taped sloppily against the locker behind me. I turned my head to face it and focused. The ends were curled up and there were ripples in the masking tape adorned to the edges. "Oakwood High School Invitational—TONIGHT" it read in handwritten purple block letters. There was a pixelated saxophone image pasted underneath the words, "Brought to you by Mr. Thompson and the Oakwood High Jazz Band." I brought my hand up to trace the edges. The poster board felt crisp and thick under my fingertips. I could smell the aftermath of the permanent marker. The loud reverberating voice behind me got softer until it resembled a deep echo I could easily ignore. I started to pick at the tape from the bottom left corner of the poster until I felt the sticky residue ball up underneath my fingernail.

Suddenly the life reentered my body in one abrupt breath when I felt a strong tug on my arm. I turned and saw Ethan Marks. Everyone else was gone. Had it been minutes this time? Hours?

"Andrea! Come on," he barked at me, interlacing my arm, tucking it quickly under his. He jerked me to a standing position and pulled me down the hall, speeding up his gate as I stumbled to catch up.

"Where's Josh?" I asked worriedly, but he didn't answer. We were silent as we walked through the empty hallway. I lifted my gaze, trying to catch Ethan's eye, trying to read his thoughts. His light blue eyes, usually sparkling with laughter, were steely and somber as he charged forward, dragging me with him, away from the wreckage I'd caused.

He stopped short and took a deep breath. His eyes were unyielding and dismal as they studied me, and slowly his frustration melted into a deep sadness.

"What happened, Andrea? What was that back there?"

"I don't know..." My voice began breaking. My thoughts were muddled beyond recognition and I couldn't form the right words, or any words, to explain.

Ethan wrapped himself around me in a gentle, firm embrace. It felt kind. And warm. And wonderfully different. My muscles unclenched for the first time in months, and I didn't know I was crying until I tasted the salt as it stained my face. I buried my head into Ethan's chest as he tightened his hold on me. I wanted him to say something, to tell me everything would be all right, but we both knew better. So we just stood there, Ethan supporting me as I clasped the back of his cotton t-shirt between my fingers.

After a few minutes, I fully returned to my body as my breathing calmed. I steadied my stance and took a step backward, shakily holding Ethan's forearms as I regained my balance. Wiping smudged mascara from my pale face, I met Ethan's eyes and quickly looked down, fixating on a crack in the tile below me.

"Hey," he started, "Andrea ... it's..."

"I'm okay. Ethan, I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to ... I'm sorry I ... ugh your shirt." I motioned to the tear stains on his light green tee that crept from his chest to his shoulder.

"Oh God, don't worry about that. Andie, I just..."

"It's fine." I wiped my face and took a deep breath. "Thanks," I said, squeezing Ethan's hand and looking in his eyes sincerely, so he knew I meant it. "I should go. But thanks." I shook my head and turned around to walk back into the havoc and face what I had done. I felt Ethan staring at me as I left. He was just another person whose life would've been better if he hadn't met me. I swallowed, took a breath, and kept walking.

It was over for now, that latest incident, and there was no way to tell when there would be another one … but there would definitely be another one. I was too broken for it to be any other way.

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Christine lives in the Los Angeles area with her husband and their two children. She works full-time as a senior marketing manager for a large media company and holds a Bachelor's of Business Administration degree from Western Michigan University where she studied marketing. Growing up in the chilly midwest, she developed a deep passion for dramatic writing and alternative music at an early age, which still peaks through in her adult-corporate-mom life today. Forgiven Are the Starry-Eyed is Christine's debut novel.

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Book Blitz: LOTUS EFFECT by Trisha Wolfe + Teasers & Giveaway

2019-05-02T14:02:00.000-05:00

PRESENTED BY XPRESSO BOOK TOURS

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Lotus Effect
by Trisha Wolfe

Aella, angel of Las Vegas, songstress of my heart, the wind flows in her veins, yet she lacks the wings to fly.

Either of my two brothers or I could grant her the power of the winds, yet can’t agree on which of us is worthy of her love. We’ll tear each other apart before either of us gives up his claim on her. Yet she resists choosing.

The Winds themselves have never fought so hard for a woman. If we weren’t immortal, we would tear each other to pieces over this pretty little human. We’ll survive the fight, but the rest of the world might crumble in the process.

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• Genres: Adult, Thriller, Romantic Suspense
• Add the book on Goodreads!
• Purchase: Amazon Kindle / Paperback

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USA Today bestselling romantic thriller author Trisha Wolfe. From an early age, Trisha Wolfe dreamed up imaginary worlds and characters and was accused of talking to herself. Today, she lives in South Carolina with her family and writes full time, using her imaginary worlds as an excuse to continue talking to herself.

For more information on Trisha Wolfe and her works, please visit: TrishaWolfe.com

To be the first to hear about new releases and sale events, sign up for Trisha Wolfe's Newsletter: http://bit.ly/1rXTKI7

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{Blog Tour} LAST THINGS by Jacqueline West—Author Interview + Giveaway

2019-05-01T00:35:00.000-05:00

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE TOUR SCHEDULE

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Last Things
by Jacqueline West

When strange things start happening to local music idol Anders Thorson, everyone blames his number-one-fan, Thea. But is she out to hurt him? Or protect him?

High school senior Anders Thorson is unusually gifted. His band, Last Things, is legendary in their northern Minnesota hometown. With guitar skills that would amaze even if he weren’t only eighteen, Anders is the focus of head-turning admiration. And Thea Malcom, a newcomer to the insular town, is one of his admirers. Thea seems to turn up everywhere Anders goes: gigs at the local coffeehouse, guitar lessons, even in the woods near Anders’s home. When strange things start happening to Anders—including the disappearance of his beloved cat, then his sort-of girlfriend, and, somehow, his musical talent—blame immediately falls on Thea. But is she trying to hurt him? Or save him? Can he trust a girl who doesn’t seem to know the difference between dreams and reality? And how much are they both willing to compromise to get what they want?

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• Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
• Publisher: Greenwillow
• Pub Date: May 7th, 2019
• Add the book on Goodreads!
• Purchase: Amazon / B&N / TBD / IndieBound

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with Jacqueline West

LM: What inspired you to write Last Things?

Jacqueline: In a nutshell, Last Things is my modern-day, Minnesotan, metal retelling of the legend of the musician who might have sold his soul to the devil. But the idea for the retelling hit me in a funny way.

I lead a lot of workshops for young writers, and one of my workshops involves picking a random image out of a box to serve as inspiration for a fictional character. One day several years ago, when I was working with a bunch of elementary students, a boy picked an image of a teenager holding an electric guitar and screaming into a microphone out of the box. The boy got stuck when trying to come up with potential weaknesses or problems for his character, so I was brainstorming with him, asking him prompting questions. Is there someone in his family who wants him to quit playing the guitar? Does he get stage fright? Or is it something strange, like…is there a devil that follows him everywhere he goes? The boy’s eyes widened. “Yeah,” he said. “That one.”

And so did I.

After the school day was over, I hurried out to my car and scribbled page after page of notes for a potential story. Another couple of years passed before I found the voices of my two main characters and really dug into the writing, but that’s where it all began.

LM: Tell us a little bit about the main character—Anders—who is he?

Jacqueline: There are actually two main characters, Anders and Thea, and they tell the story in alternating chapters. Their perspectives and their voices are very different…but Thea is definitely the more mysterious one, so I’ll leave her that way for now and focus on Anders. 😊

Anders Thorson is a musical prodigy. He’s a high school senior who lives in a small, broke town in northern Minnesota, but his band—Last Things—is on the verge of full-blown fame. Anders is the vocalist, lead guitarist, and songwriter for the group, and he knows that he’s standing on the edge of gigantic success.

The trouble is that Anders isn’t sure his success is earned. The songs he writes come to him in disorienting flashes of inspiration, his musical talent keeps increasing exponentially, and it all seems to stem from a chat he had with a stranger in the dark forest outside of town a few years ago.

Of course, nobody understands Anders’s feelings about all of this. At the same time, he’s dealing with friction within his band, a flirtation with a gorgeous girl who might like him for the wrong reasons, and a stalker who follows him everywhere, even to his bedroom window.

LM: Share a fun fact about this book with us!

Jacqueline: I wanted to call this book Unspeakable Gifts. I totally understand why my publisher didn’t go for it, but it comes from the Bible (“Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gifts,” which is a line one of the characters quotes to another) and I thought it suited the themes and secrets and the eerie supernatural elements of the story delightfully.

LM: If this book had a theme song, what would it be?

Jacqueline: Oh boy. This book is crammed with songs. Lyrics to many of Last Things’ songs are quoted or included entirely. The most important ones are “Falling Star,” “Superhero,” and “Devil’s Due.” Now, if a metal band like In Flames would just write and perform the music to one or all of them, everything would be perfect.

LM: Can you share one of your favorite quotes or scenes from Last Things

Jacqueline: Sure! This is from the end of the first chapter. A Last Things show has just ended, and Thea is standing in the dark parking lot outside of the Crow’s Nest, watching Anders and the rest of the band pack up.

Anders finally looks in my direction. His face stays absolutely still. But his eyes meet mine for long enough that it’s almost like a greeting. This is as much as I can ask for. I have to keep hidden everywhere else. But at the Crow’s Nest, I’m just another fan. Another follower. Here, he thinks he’s safe. Anders turns back to the car, closes the trunk. He murmurs something to Jezz and Patrick. They all laugh.

He doesn’t give me another glance.

They climb into their cars, Jezz and Patrick into the truck, heading toward the east side of town, Jezz’s house, Patrick’s place, and Anders heading toward his house, not far away, here on the northwest, near the woods.

I wait until their taillights have winked out in the distance, down the cracked asphalt of the road.

I get my bicycle. I take the path straight through the woods. The trees lean back as I pass. They whisper and hiss. They know what I am. They know what I know.

My own house isn’t far away, on a mossy dead-end road deep in the oaks and pines. I’ll pass Anders’s house first. Take one more look. Make sure he’s inside. Watch his windows. Wait until he shuts off the lights. Maybe.

Maybe I’ll wait even longer than that. Maybe I’ll watch all night.

LM: Tell us what you enjoy doing when you aren't writing!

Jacqueline: It probably won’t be a surprise to hear that I love music. I go to concerts when I can, I play the piano (just not in front of other people), and I have a degree in voice performance, so sometimes you can catch me doing local shows.

I love wandering: around bookstores, thrift shops, old cemeteries, unfamiliar towns.

I’m also a pretty serious cookie baker. I wouldn’t make it on the Great British Bake Off or anything, but I frost a mean sugar cookie.

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Jacqueline West is the author of the NYT-bestselling middle grade series The Books of Elsewhere, the YA novel Dreamers Often Lie, and the new middle grade fantasy The Collectors.

She is also the author of two poetry collections, Cherma and Candle and Pins: Poems on Superstitions, and her poetry and short fiction appear in a variety of publications.

She lives in Red Wing, Minnesota, with her family.

WEBSITE • GOODREADS • FACEBOOK • INSTAGRAM

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Huge thanks to Jacqueline for answering my questions today!

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Cover Reveal ~ SISTERS OF SALEM by Tish Thawer

2019-05-01T00:30:00.000-05:00

PRESENTED BY XPRESSO BOOK TOURS

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The Sisters of Salem

by Tish Thawer

Through space and time, sisters entwined. Lost then found, souls remain bound.

After facing a relentless foe, three sister witches are forced even further back through time to a place that holds just as much sorrow for them as it does joy.

Returning to their origins in 1685, the trio races to save not only their mother from the clutches of their new enemy but also to secure the future they’ve worked for centuries to build.

Avoiding their younger selves is a necessity that proves difficult, especially when one sister isn’t sure she wants to leave the past behind. Faced with love and loss, these witches are forced to endure the burning times again, and one wrong step could alter history and their future forever.

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• Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance
• Pub Date: Summer/Fall 2019
• Publisher: Amber Leaf Publishing
• Add the book on Goodreads!
• Purchase previous books: Amazon

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2017 - #1 Bestseller in Historical Fiction (Witches of BlackBrook)
2017 - Top 100 Bestselling in Paid Kindle Store (Witches of Blackbrook)
2015 - Best Cover - Penned Con (The Witches of BlackBrook)
2015 - Readers Choice Award - My New Favorite Book Awards (The Witches of BlackBrook)

Bestselling and Award Winning Author, Tish Thawer, writes paranormal romances for all ages. From her first paranormal cartoon, Isis, to the Twilight phenomenon, myth, magic, and superpowers have always held a special place in her heart.

Tish is known for her detailed world-building and magic-laced stories. Her work has been compared to Nora Roberts, Sam Cheever, and Charlaine Harris. She has received a RONE Award nomination (Reward of Novel Excellence), as well as nominations for Best Cover, Reader’s Choice, and Author of the Year (Fantasy, Dystopian, Mystery).

Tish has worked as a computer consultant, photographer, and graphic designer, and is a columnist for Gliterary Girl media and has bylines in RT Magazine and Literary Lunes Magazine. She resides in Arizona with her husband and three wonderful children and is represented by Gandolfo, Helin, and Fountain Literary Management. You can find Tish on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AuthorTishThawer

A common FAQ: "How do you pronounce her last name?" Answer: Think "Bower" or "Thow-er". It's Persian!

WEBSITE • GOODREADS • FACEBOOK • TWITTER

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Book Blast: HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE DARK by Kathleen Glasgow + Giveaway

2019-04-30T00:35:00.000-05:00

PRESENTED BY JEAN BOOKNERD

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How to Make Friends with the Dark
by Kathleen Glasgow

Here is what happens when your mother dies.

It’s the brightest day of summer and it’s dark outside. It’s dark in your house, dark in your room, and dark in your heart. You feel like the darkness is going to split you apart.

That’s how it feels for Tiger. It’s always been Tiger and her mother against the world. Then, on a day like any other, Tiger’s mother dies. And now it’s Tiger, alone.

Here is how you learn to make friends with the dark.

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• Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary
• Publisher: Delacorte Press
• Add the book on Goodreads!
• Purchase: Amazon / B&N / Kobo • TBD • IndieBound

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Kathleen Glasgow is the author of the New York Times best-selling novel, Girl in Pieces. She lives in Arizona. Her second young adult novel, How to Make Friends With the Dark, will be published by Delacorte/Random House 4/9/19.

WEBSITE • GOODREADS • TWITTER • FACEBOOK • INSTAGRAM

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Book Blitz: NORTH TO NARA by Amanda Marin—Book Playlist + Giveaway

2019-04-29T00:30:00.000-05:00

PRESENTED BY XPRESSO BOOK TOURS

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North to Nara
by Amanda Marin

Neve Hall has always admired the good works of the civil servants who brought prosperity back to the Nation. She especially respects the Sufferers—empaths who, with the help of technology, anonymously bear others’ troubles for them. But when her assigned empath is abruptly retired, she uncovers certain secrets. Like the identity of her new Sufferer, Micah Ward... and the fact that behind his kind smile is a life filled with loneliness and pain.

The closer Neve grows to Micah, the more desperate she becomes to protect him from a cruel and gruesome fate. But in a world where only a few are allowed the luxury of love, saving Micah comes with a price: Neve must choose between her loyalty to the Nation or her heart—a decision that will take them both on a race for their freedom, and their lives.

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• Genres: Young Adult, Dystopia, Romance
• Publisher: Inkspell Publishing
• Add the book on Goodreads!
• Purchase: Amazon / B&N / Kobo

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by Amanda Marin

NORTH TO NARA PLAYLIST

Here are some actual songs I was listening to when writing and revising North to Nara. Can you guess which songs inspired which scenes or passages? Happy listening!

Nara | alt-J | Nara is a real place in Japan; both this beautiful city and this haunting song helped inspire my version of Nara, the place Neve and Micah long to go.

Move | Saint Motel | Micah knows he shouldn't break his contract with the Nation.. but Neve might just be worth the risk!

Geyser | Mitski | We're all passionate about something; Neve is passionate about Micah.

&Run | Sir Sly | Neve and Micah have a similar choice to make: will they run to or away from love?

The Idea of You | Billie Holiday | Old-school slow dancing, anyone? Yes, please!

Love is to Die | Warpaint | Oh, the complex emotions of falling in love...

Go! | M83 and Mai Lan | A perfect song for secret romantic meetups!

Some Kind of Love | The Killers | Micah admires the power of Neve's love in much the same way. *sigh*

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When Amanda was a child, her father traveled frequently for business, always bringing her back a book as a present. Whether she was getting lost in the pages of a tale about far-away knights, girls with supernatural powers, or kindly giants, she was quickly hooked on stories.

Over the years, Amanda has followed her own yellow brick road of reading and writing, and although her adventures haven't involved sword fights or saving the planet from certain annihilation, they have involved jobs in scholarly publishing and marketing, a modest amount of travel, and a lifelong love of novels.

Amanda holds degrees in English from Salve Regina University and Boston College. She lives in southern New Hampshire with her family and pet poodle, Snickers. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and several of its subchapters.

WEBSITE • GOODREADS • TWITTER • FACEBOOK • INSTAGRAM

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BOOK REVIEW: Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson

2019-04-25T22:03:00.000-05:00

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Title: Let Me Hear a Rhyme
Author: Tiffany D. Jackson
Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction
Pages: 384
Pub Date: May 21, 2019
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins
Book Source: publisher via edelweiss
My Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Synopsis: Biggie Smalls was right. Things done changed. But that doesn’t mean that Quadir and Jarrell are okay letting their best friend Steph’s tracks lie forgotten in his bedroom after he’s killed—not when his beats could turn any Bed-Stuy corner into a celebration, not after years of having each other’s backs.

Enlisting the help of Steph’s younger sister, Jasmine, Quadir and Jarrell come up with a plan to promote Steph’s music under a new rap name: The Architect. Soon, everyone in Brooklyn is dancing to Steph’s voice. But then his mixtape catches the attention of a hotheaded music rep and—with just hours on the clock—the trio must race to prove Steph’s talent from beyond the grave.

Now, as the pressure—and danger—of keeping their secret grows, Quadir, Jarrell, and Jasmine are forced to confront the truth about what happened to Steph. Only each has something to hide. And with everything riding on Steph’s fame, together they need to decide what they stand for before they lose everything they’ve worked so hard to hold on to—including each other.

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*** POSSIBLE SPOILERS ***

In 2017, I read Tiffany's book Allegedly, and I LOVED it. So, Let Me Hear a Rhyme is my second read by this author. I enjoyed it, but not quite as much as I'd hoped. I was very close to giving this 5 stars, but the plot did drag a little and the ending wasn't what I'd hoped for.

LMHAR is about three teens living in NY—Jasmine, Quadir, and Jarrell. It is also about Steph—who was recently murdered—best friend of Quadir and Jarrell, brother of Jasmine. The story is primarily centered around these three teens trying to gain fame for their dead friend/brother. More important than fame, though, is that they find Steph's lyrics so important that they really want to get them out there and make sure people remember Steph. They want to sell his music (pre-recorded, of course) to a record label and use the money to hire a private investigator to look into Steph's death. The problem? Convincing people to sign someone to a label when that person is deceased. So, they hide it and work around it. At first it works out great, but eventually things begin to get tangled and go south.

Jarrell was definitely my favorite character. I appreciated a main character that didn't fit into a mold, so to speak. He was interesting and unique. An overweight guy with multitudes of confidence; comfortable in his own skin and witty to boot. Jarrell had endless love for the ladies and wasn't afraid to say so. Brains, talent, and more. He was a mood lightener with all of the serious topics going on in this book.

Quadir lacked a little bit of substance, in my opinion, but I still think his POV was needed as it gave the story a different take on the situations going on within the book. Each of the three MC's had a little secret to share and it wouldn't have all fit together without Quadir.

Jasmine was tougher for me to like at first, and I can recognize and admit this is due to me being a white girl. Jasmine has some anti-white tendencies (which is understandable, of course) and she gets caught up with a Malcolm-X-ideals type of group that doesn't really express themselves in a healthy or productive way. They choose to be violent and that just adds to the problem. You don't put out a fire by throwing gasoline on it, yeah? Side note: Jasmine sort of reminded me of the dad from The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. BUT, Jasmine does have a sort of come-to-Jesus moment in the story where she realizes she is turning into exactly what she dislikes in others and makes a decision to be a better person. So, overall, her character was great as well. My hang ups with her come from me just not being able to connect with that specific part of her character as I can never understand what it is like to be a person of color in America.

While I am in this vein, I will say that this book does highlight many social issues that have relevance. Police brutality (against POC specifically) is touched upon, which is such a major problem right now. The book also highlights how and why some people may get caught up in selling drugs (it may be the only way they see to help their family financially). It also makes you realize how important it is to choose who you trust carefully.

Before I wrap up, I just want to say how AMAZING it was to read a book set in the 90's. I am a true 90's kid/teen and I remember when Biggie was killed (they reference it a lot in this book) and I remember the music from back then and how huge it all was. It was a very nostalgic read for me!

My only real negative thing to say is that the ending was a little unfathomable for me. It wasn't good or bad, it was just TOO PERFECT. I can't really describe it without spoiling the ending. It was just too unbelievable, honestly. But, I can definitely overlook it with the rest of the book being so enjoyable and special.

Overall, I definitely found this book very hard to put down! It touches on very important and relevant issues regardless of the fact that this takes place in the 90's; it honestly just goes to show that things haven't change enough. This is a story of friendship and hardship, honestly and love. It is very special and I loved it. The characters are well built up and each one has a unique voice and story to tell, yet they all culminate into a very important thread in Steph. I recommend this one for sure!

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BOOK REVIEW: If You're Out There by Katy Loutzenhiser

2019-04-20T19:33:00.000-05:00

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Title: If You're Out There
Author: Katy Loutzenhiser
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery
Pages: 307
Pub Date: March 5, 2019
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Book Source: publisher via edelweiss
My Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Synopsis: After Zan’s best friend moves to California, she is baffled and crushed when Priya suddenly ghosts. Worse, Priya’s social media has turned into a stream of ungrammatical posts chronicling a sunny, vapid new life that doesn’t sound like her at all.

Everyone tells Zan not to be an idiot: Let Priya do her reinvention thing and move on. But until Zan hears Priya say it, she won’t be able to admit that their friendship is finished.

It’s only when she meets Logan, the compelling new guy in Spanish class, that Zan begins to open up about her sadness, her insecurity, her sense of total betrayal. And he’s just as willing as she is to throw himself into the investigation when everyone else thinks her suspicions are crazy.

Then a clue hidden in Priya’s latest selfie introduces a new, deeply disturbing possibility:

Maybe Priya isn’t just not answering Zan’s emails.

Maybe she can’t.

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*** POSSIBLE SPOILERS ***

If You're Out There was an okay read, but I ended up on the fence about this one, as I have with so many books so far in 2019.

Zan and Priya grew up together, and were as close as two best friends could be. Then Priya moved away to go to a new school, and stopped responding to Zan's emails and messages. Zan is confused as to what may have caused her once-best-friend to ghost her, as she sees Priya posting photos via social media and responding to pretty much everyone but her. Zan doesn't accept this. She begins to think something else is going on; that her friend may be in trouble. Why else would she ignore her like this? Everyone in her life is telling her to basically move on, get over it, right? Not Logan. Logan is a new guy at school and has taken a liking to Zan. Together, the two of them start to piece together what may or may not have happened to Priya.

When I was reading this I had some theories on why Priya may have started to ignore Zan. I wondered if Zan maybe had feelings for her and it wasn't Priya's thing, if perhaps Priya was kidnapped, or maybe she was just a snob—too good for Zan now that she is a California girl. What actually happened was pretty lame, to be frank. It was not what I expected and I was pretty disappointed with the outcome. I was happy with the ending, but the reason behind Priya not speaking with Zan was just silly to me. I don't want to spoil it, but it was this weird out-of-left-field thing and, I don't know, it just seemed far-fetched and not really believable. Meh.

What I did like was how devoted Logan was to helping Zan find her friend. I did enjoy the romance. It wasn't a main story thread, but it was nice on the side. I also enjoyed the friendship between Zan and Priya even though they were separated for most of the book. When the two finally see each other, things are wonderful. I felt the connection regardless of their separation. The author did really good job of making us feel how important they were to each other.

Overall, I enjoyed the contemporary parts of this book such as the romance and Zan's struggle with the loss of her friend, but the mystery was lackluster for me. I feel that it was dragged out much too long, especially considering the actual events leading up to Zan ghosting her friend were not really interesting or believable. It was a fail on that front, but a win with the contemporary. Like I said, on the fence! Great character building, great background information. Inspirational friendship. Slow plot, but overall a good read.

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Spotlight: THE MEANING OF BIRDS by Jaye Robin Brown + Giveaway

2019-04-20T09:58:00.001-05:00

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The Meaning of Birds
by Jaye Robin Brown

Before, Jessica has always struggled with anger issues, but come sophomore year that all changes when Vivi crashes into her life. As their relationship blossoms, Vivi not only helps Jess deal with her pain, she also encourages her to embrace her talent as an artist. And for the first time, it feels like the future is filled with possibilities. After In the midst of senior year, Jess’s perfect world is erased when Vivi suddenly passes away. Reeling from the devastating loss, Jess pushes everyone away, and throws out her plans to go to art school. Because art is Vivi and Vivi is gone forever.

Desperate for an escape, Jess gets consumed in her work-study program, letting all of her dreams die. Until she makes an unexpected new friend who shows her a new way to channel her anger, passion, and creativity. Although Jess may never draw again, if she can find a way to heal and room in her heart, she just might be able to forge a new path for herself without Vivi.

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• Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA+
• Publisher: HarperTeen
• Pub Date: April 16, 2019
• Add the book on Goodreads!
• Purchase: Amazon / B&N / Kobo / IndieBound / TBD

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Jaye Robin Brown, or JRo to her friends, has been many things in her life--jeweler, mediator, high school art teacher--but is now living the full-time writer life. She lives with her wife, dogs, and horses in a sweet house in the NC woods where she hopes to live happily ever after. She is the author of NO PLACE TO FALL, WILL'S STORY, GEORGIA PEACHES AND OTHER FORBIDDEN FRUIT and THE MEANING OF BIRDS.

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Spotlight: SERIOUS MOONLIGHT by Jenn Bennett + Giveaway

2019-04-12T15:58:00.000-05:00

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Serious Moonlight
by Jenn Bennett

After an awkward first encounter, Birdie and Daniel are forced to work together in a Seattle hotel where a famous author leads a mysterious and secluded life in this romantic contemporary novel from the author of Alex, Approximately.

Mystery-book aficionado Birdie Lindberg has an overactive imagination. Raised in isolation and homeschooled by strict grandparents, she’s cultivated a whimsical fantasy life in which she plays the heroic detective and every stranger is a suspect. But her solitary world expands when she takes a job the summer before college, working the graveyard shift at a historic Seattle hotel.

In her new job, Birdie hopes to blossom from introverted dreamer to brave pioneer, and gregarious Daniel Aoki volunteers to be her guide. The hotel’s charismatic young van driver shares the same nocturnal shift and patronizes the waterfront Moonlight Diner where she waits for the early morning ferry after work. Daniel also shares her appetite for intrigue, and he’s stumbled upon a real-life mystery: a famous reclusive writer—never before seen in public—might be secretly meeting someone at the hotel.

To uncover the writer’s puzzling identity, Birdie must come out of her shell…discovering that most confounding mystery of all may be her growing feelings for the elusive riddle that is Daniel.

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• Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance
• Publisher: Simon Pulse
• Pub Date: April 16, 2019
• Add the book on Goodreads!
• Purchase: Amazon / B&N / Kobo / IndieBound / TBD

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Jenn Bennett is an award-winning author of several young adult books, including: ALEX, APPROXIMATELY; STARRY EYES; and SERIOUS MOONLIGHT. She also writes romance and fantasy for adults. Her books have earned multiple starred reviews, won Romance Writers of America’s RITA® Award, and been included on Publishers Weekly Best Books annual list. She lives near Atlanta with one husband and two dogs.

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